Dressing the scene: Creating the look of Stalker

When it came to costume, props, and set design for Stalker, I knew I didn’t need anything over the top.

Since psychological horror often feels scarier when it’s grounded in reality, I kept things simple and relatable, and that choice actually helped everything feel more real and intense on screen.

For the victim, I used basic, casual clothes, the kind of outfit anyone might wear when walking home. This helped make her more relatable to the audience.

It gave the feeling that what’s happening could happen to anyone, making the danger feel even more real.

For the stalker, I chose all black clothing to instantly create a sense of mystery and danger.

The dark clothes also helped the stalker blend into shadows, which added to the unsettling atmosphere and made their sudden appearances feel more intense.

The simplicity worked really well: it kept the focus on the movement, presence, and tension, rather than distracting with unnecessary details.

Because Stalker is more focused on psychological fear than physical violence, I didn’t use many props, but that was intentional.

Keeping it minimal added to the realism. The key prop I used was my phone itself , both as a tool for filming and a way to frame the shots.

The main location for the stalker scene was a scary, dimly lit street, which gave off a natural feeling of unease.

The street was quiet and slightly isolated, which added to the tension of being followed. There was no need for dramatic lighting, the raw atmosphere of the place did all the work for me.

For the second part of the film opening, I filmed in my house. This contrast between public and private spaces helped build the sense that the character was never really safe, not even at home.

Overall, I think the decision to keep costumes and sets minimal actually worked to Stalker’s advantage. The simplicity helped ground the story in real life, which made the horror feel more believable and chilling. It showed me that you don’t need expensive costumes or big sets to create atmosphere, just the right mood, lighting, and intention.